Who cares if Serena Williams wins or loses? It’s a victory for all mums

By Libby-Jane Charleston| 2 months ago

We're already cheering

The pressure of being the greatest tennis player in the world would be a burden difficult for anyone, but imagine carrying that weight when you’re juggling motherhood at the same time.

Many women find motherhood incredibly isolating. Being the best in the world at anything would be isolating enough, but if you add motherhood into the mix, you’ve got a recipe for an arduous life.

And yet Serena Williams shows us how it’s done: we can count on her being an extraordinary role model in more ways than one. She shows us the highs and lows of motherhood and that despite her fame, she’s just another mother. Even though she’s so much more.

This week Williams is in the semi-finals of the US Open and I’d take a guess that even the non-tennis fans might sneak a peek at this incredible woman. We should all be in awe of her.

Of course, it’s no secret many are sick and tired of writers making a big deal of how amazing it is to see Williams is still top of the game so soon after having baby Olympia. I can feel the eye rolls, hear the guttural sighs as I’m writing this.

But for anyone who uses the argument, "But Roger Federer/Andy Murray etc have small children too!" – there’s something simple to consider: they didn’t have the physical complications that comes with carrying a baby, giving birth and the aftermath of birth.

Like many women, Williams was forced to undergo an emergency c-section to deliver baby Olympia, but what followed was a six-day drama involving more surgeries.

In her five-part documentary series, Being Serena, she reveals her fresh c-section wound popped open from intense coughing spells caused by a pulmonary embolism. When she returned to surgery, they found that a large hematoma had flooded her abdomen complicating things even further. For the first six weeks of motherhood, Williams was unable to get out of bed.

When I was first pregnant (with twins) I had little concept of the actual physical impact of pregnancy, giving birth and then the recovery period. I won’t bother with details comparing a twin pregnancy to Williams' singleton pregnancy because my experience was quite different but the very physical impact of pregnancy -- and birth -- on a woman’s body is something many don’t really think about when they refer to Williams' achievements post motherhood.

For many mothers, juggling sleep deprivation, feeding, nappy changes, emotional exhaustion and everything else, it’s often a challenge to find the energy to take your babies to the local supermarket. It is simply impossible for us to imagine what it must be like to maintain peak athletic performance and keep on winning international tournaments when you’ve got a baby as well.

There was much talk that Williams had made her tennis comeback too soon after having Olympia, but that’s missing the point.

(Getty)

There are many reasons why Williams is such a champion for mothers everywhere; anyone who follows her on social media knows she is very blunt when it comes to the reality of being a mother; from heart-melting moments to the trying times:

"Today was particularly difficult having to leave @OlympiaOhanian today to go to work. I guess some days are harder than others," she wrote.

"I just put Olympia @OlympiaOhanian to sleep but I can’t seem to put her in bed I’m loving holding her in my arms. I want to milk every second!!!"

She also posts encouraging words for other mothers:

"These past 2 weeks was a sound for all moms stay home and working you can do it you really can! I’m not any better or diff than any of you all. Your support has meant so much to me. Let’s keep making noise everyday in everything we do."

But of course it doesn’t matter if Williams doesn’t win. We all know she doesn’t need the money, that’s clearly not her underlying motivation. The very fact she’s competing at the very top level is inspiring, not because we can ever visualise ourselves in her position and say, "If she can do it, so can I!" because few people ever reach her level of sportsmanship. Williams is inspiring because she doesn’t let her new identity of 'mother' overshadow her entire life.

And, she’s also an inspiration because, above everything, she still wants to win.